Mic Check: Eels

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Perpetually brokenhearted Eels frontman Mark Oliver Everett (or E., as he prefers) is used to exploring the darker side of life with a perfectly aged blend of experimental pop and painfully personal lyrics. The Eels’ latest release, Tomorrow Morning, follows in that tradition, but acts as the chewy hope filling inside of the shit-flavored Tootsie Pop. New disc Tomorrow Morning is the final installment in a trilogy covering desire, loss and redemption. Mr. E phones WW to discuss his newest album, his upcoming show in Portland, and the mortal dangers of having a beard.

WW: Do you ever get too attached to a song because you put too much of yourself in it?

E: I don’t know about getting attached, but when I write a song, I’m just trying to get to the bone of the truth of the matter and I don’t censor myself. And it’s only when I try to sing the song in front of a bunch of people for the first time that I get hit with this wave of awkwardness and I get a little embarrassed. And if you’re embarrassed, it means there’s something really true there. You know, I’m a man. We get embarrassed.